Hitachi Energy: How Data Centres Can Be Better Grid Citizens The rise of AI has fast become one of the most pressing and intractable challenges the energy sector has ever faced, affecting every stakeholder from grid operators, to energy providers, to urban planners. Data centres, especially AI data centres, are some of the largest and most demanding consumers of electricity that have ever been connected to the grid. While a conventional data centre can draw as much power as 100,000 homes, the IEA estimates that some AI campuses now being built could require up to 20 times that amount. But scale is not the only problem here. AI facilities create highly variable load patterns (sporadic fluctuations in the demand for energy) that can change dramatically depending on whether systems are training large models or serving live applications. That kind of volatility has left the sector with some tough questions to answer. Firstly, where should these facilities be connected? How much storage should sit on-site? What sort of infrastructure upgrades are needed? How do we make sure fluctuations in demand do not disturb the wider network? - While a conventional data centre can pull as much power as 100,000 homes, the International Energy Agency estimates AI campuses currently under construction demanding up to 20 times that amount. Gerhard Salge, Chief Technology Officer at Hitachi Energy, is looking to provide answers. “Technology providers like us with system experience can help data centres not only by supplying the technology but also to build a trustful relationship in between developers, operators and utilities,” he says. Originally from Germany and now based in Switzerland, Gerhard brings a background in electrical engineering and three decades of industry experience to the role. Looking back on that career, he jokes about the pace of change in the sector: